Automatic clock



March 10,1925;

1,528,789 A. REBORI AUTOMATIC CLOCK Filed July 28. 1920 4 Shecs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS A. REBOR! AUTOMATIC CLOCK Filed July 28, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 65 M Guam;

BY G 0% WM 2 5 ATTORNEYS March 10, 1925; 1,528,789 I A.REBORI AUTOMATI C CLOCK Filed July 28, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 73 INVENTOR Y BY Z9 0W WM ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 10, 1925 UNITED STATES ATILIO REBORI, OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.

AUTOMATIC onocx.

Application filed July 28, 1920.

/0 ll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A'rinio new, subject of the King of Italy, residing at 2272 Leandro N. Alem Street, Buenos Aires, Republic of Argentina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Clocks, of which the fo lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved automatic clock, in which by a single opera tion the hour may be advanced or retarded, without necessity of interfering in any way, for this purpose, with the operation or running of the clockwork. The device consists of two discs of suitable dimensions, both being of the same diameter and in the present case arranged one in opposition to the other,

said discs being arranged in such manner in combination with the clockwork that they air s rotate in one direction, with this particularity that when doing so, at a. predetermined moment during their rotation imparted therto by the operation of the. clock work-both discs will rotate in the inverse direction, one in relation to the other. Said discs, adapted to be arranged together or apart. as the manufacturer or purchaser may desire, by certain means hereinafter to be described, are adapted to periodically cause the hour to advance or retard.

in this case, the invention will be explained as applied to the lighting and eX tinction of electric lamps, gas lights or the like of public or private lighting service and as light is required all nights during the whole year and as owing to astronomic principles, sunset and sun rise vary from six to six months, it follows that between June 21st and December 21st sun rise is retarded a little every day, while between these same dates, sun set is advanced or takes place earier. On June 21st, according to a certain meridian, the sun rises at and sets at 6.51, while on December 21st, it rises at and sets at 4:.33. In consequence, while the rise of the sun follows during the period from June .fist to December 21st an ascending line, that is from 4-29 to 6.85, its setting line, to the contrary, descends from 6.51 to 4.33. It will be seen therefore, that while one amount recedes from a point, the other one approaches the same. The discs which constitute the subject matter of this invention, perform this operation daily and every six months, and after reaching this date, they will perform Serial No. 399,593.

said operation inversely. The difference of sun rise and sun set. between both extreme dates. is about 2 hours and 15 minutes. When dividing this amount by 183 days, we obtain a quotient of all seconds per day and by multiplying this amount by the number of days on which the change of hour is desired to take place, we shall obtain m minutes; a change equal to this amount is obtained by means of the adjustment or timing of a simple piece connected to the clock work, also of most simple operation; the changes in the hour may vary from 30 seconds per day to several minutes per day, if desired, and with regard to the number of days which may be required.

In practice, and according to the ordinances regarding the hour of lighting and extinguishing of the public lighting service of the city of Buenos Aires, the change amounts to about six minutes for every eight days, with a difference of nearly two hours for every six months.

This invention will be described as bein ppliod to a certain type of clock which have devised for that purpose, but by introducing some slight modifications in the construction and arrangement of details, the invention may readily be applied to any type of clock which may be desired.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional through the clock and timing block mechanism:

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the timing block m chanism showing one of the timing discs with its associated gearing:

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-S in Fig. 1 showing the second timing disc in elevation:

Fig. 4 is a detail view taken along the line r s of Fig. 1 showing one of the discs which control the periods of relative movement of he timing discs and the driving gear train in elevation:

5 is a perspective view of the controlling disc shown in Fig. et together with its axle and corresponding controlling disc for the second timing disc:

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the clock dial showing the shift lever and stops:

Fig. 7 shows the lever system operated by the timing disc the levers being in elevation and the shaft in section:

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the mechanism for throwing the timing gear stop levers out of engagement:

Fig. 9 shows the lever system operated and the lighting switch gear system with its" stop just after operation by the timing d1sc Fig. 11 shows a plan view of the clock and timing mechanism and theassoolated switch drive:

Fig. 11 is, a a diagrammatic representa-.

tion inone, planecf, the lighting svvltch dr ve; r

l ig, 12 is a detail. view of the. swltch dr ve gear-s as shown in, Fig. 10in the..- pos1t1on ii fewminutes after that of ig, ,10:

Fig, 13 is aldetailwof a lIghtrIIg SWItOh operating lever taken alongthe l1ne 13 13 of Figs 11:

1 1 is a detail of the .ti rnng stop re leaellever. takenalong the line 1414 of Fig., 112:

F 15, and .16 are detail views of the shaft and levers-oi the switch; operating mechanism. shown in- Fig. 11-:

Fig. 17 is asection through a modified construction of the, timing block Fig, 18is; a front elevat on. of one ofcthe timing discs shown -.i 1-. ;g...17

Fig 19 isa detail view of the timing blocicframe in Fig, 17:

Fig. 120,, is anelevation of one of the, timing discs in Fig.v 17 showing .the nternal gears.

Referring to Figure 1, 1 indicates. the minute axle, 2 is a gear wh ch drives this axle; 3 is a gear fast on the. axle 1 and in engagementwith the gear 4 which causes tlielrotation of the gear .5, onwhosecomca] collar isv secured; the hand 6-which indicates the hours? the hand marking the minutes. indicated at 7, is secured to the axle 1. I To theaxle1 is also. secured the gear 8, driving the .gear 9 which in turn rotates the gear. 10. For every 24 rew olutionsv of the gear, 8, the gear 10 only performs onesinglegturm The gear 10 1s telescoped through its entire extension on the axle. 1 which protrudes through the plate of the clock, whereit (engageswith the pinion ot' the gearv 9. On the collar of the gearjlOis threaded a sleeve 11 to which is aifix ethat the middle of its length, a small plate.12 onwhich are mounted six gears, 13, 14, 15, 16-andthose17 and 18, with their respect-ire pinions,. which operate 1n the following manner: As the gear 17 lscaused to rotate, with its pinionin engagement with the large gear 19, the gears 13 and 14:

- on one side willrotate and the gear 15 at "the end, in meshwith the gear 14, and the gear 16 will rotateonv the other side. Asthe gears 13 and 16 rotate in opposite directions with regard: to each other, the gears-'19 and 20, in engagement with the same l-3 andlG) will also rotate in opthe. gear 2 'ing. is carried out in several sections to be posite directions, in. proportion v to the rotative motion imparted thereto by the, gear 17. As the gears 19 and 20 rotate on the sleeve 11 and as to each gear is secured a disc in acordance: with this invention, indicated at 21 and 22, these latter discs will always rotate in opposite directions one with regard to the other. lVhen during the operation of the clock, the gear 17 rotates from the left to the right and causes the disc 21 to rotate fromthe ,right to the left and the disc 22 f1om the left to. the right, while the gear 18, when operating and starting motion, also runs from the leftf to. therright, but as the pinion of the gear 18 engages with the. large gear 20, it will cause the pinions 16, 15, 14 and 13 to so .gear 17. Having thus explained these movements, it will readily be understood f that the discs may be made to separate from, or to approach at will to any predetermined point on their circumferences. This obtained in the following manner: The axle 1 caused to rotate by the actionof directly driven by the clockwork, imparts motion, bymeans ofthe gear 8, fast thereon, to the gear 9; this latter transmits rotation by, means of its pinion, to the gear 10, which has fast thereon the sleeve 11 which latter, thus rotates the whole block or ture compr1sing the parts bearing the numbers lOt-o 22, inclusive. As in this case-the change of time. is supposed to be sixniinutes for every eight days. It follows that byineans of the lever 23 on the gear 10 striking every twenty four hours against one of the. stops 2130f the discs 24 and 29, (Figs. and 5),the gap of the disc 24 (Fig, 2) will after the lapse of eight days,

arrive at a certain position in which the lever 27 will enter into the. same and will thereby cause the coupling of the gear 17 As the block is rotatingfrom right to left, the gear. 17 will also be obliged to turn in the same direction, as well as the other gears, whereby the discs 21 and 22will be caused to; open. If instead the lever 31 operates, the lever 27 will then remain inoperative and the stop 32 will couple the gear 18, whereby the discs will be caused to rotate in a direction opposite to that in which they turned under the action of the gear 17.

The operation of lighting and extinguishthe following way: Thenecessary slots or notches relating to the served at different hours are provided, but as in this case only. one section has to be taken into consideralightingoperation, is formed at the point 11, Figures 2, 18 and. 20, to the left of the struce .tion, the notch or cut corresponding to the disc 21, as in this'position are marked the hours of noon; the notch or gap relative to extinction will be provided on the disc 22, Figure 3, at the point 42, to the right of the disc, when viewed from the rear, where are marked the hours of the morning. As the block or gear structure rotates, at a given moment, the notch 42 comes below the stop 63, this latter enters into the notch and the lever 62 (Figures 1, 2, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12) is connected to the lever 59, at 60, when descending, it causes the rotation of the axle 57, Figures 7, 10, 11, 12 and 15. In order that the lever 62 may descend, it will be necessary to arrange the several integers which constitute my automatic clock, for performing the following movements: (the following explanations are to be considered in connection with the figures of the drawings in particular, Figs. 7, 9, 10, 11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, as they are all in relation one to another). To the axle 1 is affixed a star wheel 48, with an odd number of teeth and which performs one revolution per hour and by rotating acts on the lever and arm 67; the lever 50, when thus operated, will cause the rotation of the parts 51 and 52, mounted on the same shaft 49, and 52 will release the stop 53 of the gear 54 and as 51 rides on the circumference of the disc 68, the gear 54 is allowed to rotate till its stop strikes against the lever 57 (Fig. 12). In order that this lever shall release the stop 53, its axle 57 must be rotated and the lever 62 must descend, since the axle 57 is rigidly connected to the other lever 59 which acts on the lever 62 from the point 60 (Figs. 7, 10, 12 and 15). It will be understood that the lever 62 cannot descend whilst its stop 63 does not enter into one of the notches or grooves 41 or 42, but to this end the discs must assume such a position that in opposi tion to the notches or recesses 41 or 42 there must be situated the gap 43 or 44, provided on each of the discs 21 and 22. As the lever 62 descends, the part 58 rotates, at which instant the stop 53, thereby released, rotates with its gear 54, which latter has a hub meshing with the gear 55, and so produces the rotation of the axle 74 with its discs 68 and 76 (Figs. 11 and 11 While the axle 74 rotates, the lever 82 is raised by the stop 77 of the disc 76 with a brisk movement, and is then immediately dropped (Fig. 13). The lever 82, fast on the collar 81, runs idle on its shaft 57, which latter, if desired, might be substituted by any other suitable piece of support. The object of this lever and its operation is to operate by means of its hook 83 or other convenient device, a suitable mechanism for the lighting or extinction of one or several electric lights or the like, or sections of light, as may be required. The light switch operating mechanism may advantageously be driven by a source of power other than that driving the clock and Figure 11 illustrates diagrammatically the drive from a source of power indicated at 80 and which may be clockwork or other suitable source of power. The power source 80 drives the shaft 79 bearing the gear 73 meshing with the gear 54 on the shaft 78, the hub attached to gear 54 and meshing with gear rotate the latter together with its shaft 74 and the discs 68 and 76 which are rigidly attached thereon as described above. It might happen that the lever 50 assumed the position inclicated in Figure 10, in which the axle 74 and parts connected thereto would be allowed to continue rotation so as to cause an indefinite number of lighting and extinguishing operations. In order to entirely avoid this, I have provided the stud 64, as soon as the lever 62 descends, it is caused to rise by half a turn of the disc 76, as the lever 84 when pushed in an upwards direction by the stop 77, will oblige the axle 57 to rotate and this latter, by raising the lever 59, will also raise the lever 62, connected to the former at as the stud always tends to remain in its original position, owing to action of its spring 65, as soon as the lever 62 rises, the stud 64 projects below the same and prevents it from descending. As the lever 62 is thus prevented from descending, the levers 59 and 58 can neither descend, on account of being connected to a common axle, whereupon the stop 53 will be retained when striking against the lever 58, as shown in Figure 12. Now, in case thearm 67 should be operated by the wheel 48, at the very moment of the descent of the lever 62, in such a way that the stud 64 would be prevented from serving as support for the lever 62, in due time, then the lever 52 will retain the gear 54 by bearing against the gear with its stop 53, owing to the fact that the ratchet wheel 48 is provided with an odd number of teeth and when the arm 67 is operated, the lever 50 remains inoperative. The gaps or recesses 34 of both discs 21 and 22 have been provided for allowing of the passage of the axles of the gears 17 and 18 and of the frame parts of the pinions 13, 14,

15 and 16 and permitting in this way of the rotation of the discs 21 and 22 and the mounting thereof in the smallest possible space.

In order to advance and retard the hour, the following are the operations to be performed:

Intlie present case, the apparatus has been adjusted for advancing or retarding the hour every eight days. Then, every eight days (to commence with the gear 17 which serves to advance the hour of lighting and retard that of extinction), the disc 24, Figure 2, comes with its recess 26 opposite to the lever 27 which by coupling said disc, also engages by meansof its stop 28, the gear 17. As duringthe rotation of'theblock of gears and during the time determined by the, adjustment of the parts,

,the gear 17 remains engaged with the stop to an extent only suflicient to allow 'of-a,

change of sin minutes, at; which moment the level-.86, after being raised bythe piece 85, Figure 8, and at the predetermined moment, will, suddeulybe released and al- 5 lowed to violentlystrike against the lever 27, thereby disengaging the same from the gear 17 and disc 24. As the lever 27,has been withdrawn from the gap 26 and the, small lever 23, Figure 4, continues rotat- 1 ing the disc 24:, said, lever 27, when released from its operatingpiece 86, will ride on the circumference of said disc 24;.and will be unable to engage by means of its stop 28 with the gear 17 during the following seven revolutions of the block or gear 10, during which time no change can be introduced into the adjustment of hours till the gap or recess 26 comes again into its operative position. All the operations explained in, connection 1 with thelever 27 with its stop28 and disc 24, also applies to the lever 31, stop 32,,dis'c 29 audits gap 30, Figure 3. In this latter, case it is the gear 18 which operates and by means of the gears, associated therewith causes the discs2l and 22 to rotate in a direction opposite to that in which theyturned when operated by the gear 17 In [this latter case, thehourof lighting is retarded while the hourxof extinction is advanced. As this change" or six months, the front ofthe dial of the novel clock is provided at its lowerpart with a handle 40 (Fig 6) they point-or position 45, retards the hour of lighting and advances that of QXtll'lC-V tion, while, when the handle is in the position indicated at a7, itperforms the op erations inversely, that is, it will advance the. hour of lighting and retard that of extinction. The handle or lever 40 is provided at its. other end with two bent parts 33 and35 which successively cause the ,de-

scent of the levers 27 and 31 and through the arms of the same, that of the parts 36 and 37, respectively, so that every six months one lever is left alternately in the high position and 1 the other one in'the lower position; the lever which occupies itsrlower position, is prevented from operating its gears, while the lever in the elevated position is allowed to do so. When:

the hand of the lever 40 occupies its new tral position at 46, the levers 27 and 31 remain inoperative and while they are in adjustment takes place everyv which, when at difierential gears and cause them to rotate thisi condition, no alteration :willtake place. in the hour of lighting and extinction, of.

the lights which therefore,remainsthe same as, determined by the last adjustment The operation of thellever tOand its associated bent parts 33 and 35. is shown in Figure 1. The F igures17, 18, 19. and. 20 illustrate a:

modified form of means for operating the discs 21 and 22, vizzfFigure 17 shows the discs 21' and 22, placed opposite to It has already.

suitable man-, ner of operatingthe discs may beadopted, l

each other, as in Figure 1. been stated before. that any provided the same are so combined'that while one recedes or withdraws from a common point, the other approaches the same, and, viceversa,

16, 17, 1s, 19, 20,127, V 40 ofFigures l, 2,3, have-here been substituted by another structure as. follows:.

The parts13, 14, 15,.

31, 24, 25, 26, and,

To the sleeve 11 are secured four pins12' on whose ends rotate the idle pi-nions 88: and 89,- one of them, 89, .is afiixed to a large toothed wheel which enters and rotates within the gap 3450f the discs 21 and 22; the pinions 88 areforthepurpose of maintaining the discs parallel to each other; the pinion 89 serves also for the same purpose, and atfthe same time acts as propeller, or drivingjgear. The'dlscs 21 and 22 are provided withconcentrlcal teeth, so that when rotating the gear 90' formed. integral with the driving pinion 89, the discs 21 and 22will be 'causedito turn, in the inverse direction one to the other. The concentrical teeth are indicated by the reference number 87.

The hour of lighting and, extinguishing is changed or adjusted in the samemanner as in the modification shown in Figure 1. The discs 24 and29 are rotated by means of the arm 23 attached to the gear-1O and which engages-with the studs on 'disc 24;. Everyeight days the notch 26 comes opposite the levers 27 and 31.and the operation is thesame as in the modification shown in Figure 1. Figure 17 indicates the positions of the discs and stops which are constructed as shown in Figures 1 to 5. The release of the stop after operation is effected by the cam 85 and the lever 86, the operation beingillustrated in Figure 8.

Having now described my invention, I

declare that what'I claim as new and do sire to secure by Letters Patent,.is:

1. An automatic clock comprising a time means for causing said levers to engage the difierential gears at predetermined intervals and means separately operated by the timing mechanism tor suddenly throwing the levers out 01 engagement with the gears after a predetermined period of engagement.

2. An automatic clock comprising a time mechanism, a block rotated by the time mechanism, two discs rotatably attached to the block, two differential gears rotatably mounted in the block and connected through a train of gears to the discs, separately operated means for performing a periodic function, two movable levers provided with stops adapted to mesh with the differential gears and to cause them to rotate, means for throwing the levers out of operation singly or together, means for causing the levers to engage the differential gears at predetermined intervals and means separately operated by the timing mechanism for suddenly throwing the levers out of engagement with the gears after a predetermined period of engagement.

3. An automatic clock comprising a time mechanism a block rotated by the time mechanism, two discs rotatably attached to the block, two difierential gears rotatably mounted 111 block and connected through a train of gears to the discs, separately operated means for performing a periodic function controlled by each disc, two movable levers provided with stops adapted to mesh with differential gears and cause them to rotate, two notched timing discs provided with studs and positioned so that the ends of the movable levers ride on the circumference of the discs and also positioned so that the stops on the levers engage the ditferential gears by the ends of the levers falling into the notches of the timing discs when in operative position, a stud rigidly mounted on the block and adapted to engage with the studs of the discs and means separately operated by the timing mechanism for suddenly throwing the levers out of engagement with the gears after a predetermined period of engagement.

l. An automatic clock in accordance with claim' 3 having notched main discs, tulcrumed levers provided with stops adapted to drop into the notches and means controlled by said levers for performing periodic functions.

5. An automatic clock in accordance with claim 3 having notched main discs, fulcrumed levers provided with stops adapted to drop into the notches, means controlled by said levers for performing periodic functions and an automatic stop for the said levers separately operated by the timing mechanism and adapted to prevent the performance of more than one of the periodic functionsby single movements of the levers,

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ATILIO REBORI. Witnesses:

.- Frinrx K1 1120111,

"MUsoNI ALORD. 

